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It has long been a Sunday staple; a plate piled high with slices of roast meat, vegetables and lashings of gravy.

But new research suggests the end-of-the-week tradition is on the decline, with families opting to use easy “roast in the bag” joints to create midweek meals instead of slaving away over the cooker at the weekend.

It is thought to be the first time the number of roasts consumed on a Sunday has accounted for less than half of the estimated 1.4 billion that are eaten annually. Data by analysts Kantar Worldpanel showed 15 million fewer roasts were made on Sundays in the last 12 months, while the number of weekday and Saturday roasts soared by 23 million.

Sunday ‘sit around the table’ occasions are definitely on the waneMatthew Southam

The sale of smaller meat joints, longer working hours including shifts and “ready meal” roasts are all thought to have contributed to the change.

Chicken still dominates the menu, with 41 per cent of consumers opting for it. It is followed by beef, which has seen a surge in popularity, while the number of people cooking lamb has fallen by around 13 million in the last 12 months, the data also showed.

Matthew Southam, senior multiple retail manager at the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, told The Grocer: "Sunday ‘sit around the table’ occasions are definitely on the wane. We have had to find other opportunities and occasions so that roasting joints do not disappear as a cut.